What’s More Exciting Than Attending the Academy Awards? Attending the Google Teacher Academy!

Friday I received the thrilling news that I was selected to attend the Google Teacher Academy in London this April.

This weekend I booked my flight, found an affordable place to stay (thanks to Airbnb!) and started collecting important information to store in Evernote to have handy while abroad. I have a copy of the London underground, the bus schedule, and a list of the closest Starbucks to where I will be at all times. (I will need large amounts of caffeine to combat the jet lag.)

With many of the little details taken care of, I have some time to contemplate this incredible opportunity. In my application video, I began by showing a black and white photograph of a Victorian school then transitioned to a picture of a typical classroom today. The purpose was to show how little has changed in the last 150+ years. Desks are arranged in rows, students have books, pencil and paper, and the teacher stands in  the front of the room near a large chalk board. I, then, showed a series of pictures from typical classrooms today and asked the questions: What has changed? Who is talking? Who is engaged?

The challenge educators today face is transforming the classroom to create student-centered learning opportunities to engage all students and give them a voice. I asked my viewers to imagine classrooms where…

• students talk

  

  http://www.flickr.com/photos/69031678@N00/5475485327/

• students collaborate

   

  

  http://www.flickr.com/photos/36258727@N04/6215701465/

   

   

• students problem solve and…

  

  http://www.flickr.com/photos/48734005@N03/6217626367/

• students teach each other.

  

  www.flickr.com/photos/d-lab/4955115698/in/photostream/

I believe technology is the vehicle needed to achieve this transformation. Technology can empower students in the classroom. Before laptops, iPads and mobile devices, there was a single subject area expert in a given classroom. It makes sense that many students were not comfortable talking or collaborating, because they were not confident in their own expertise or their ability to problem solve. Now, students can access a wealth of information in the classroom, which opens the door for a dramatic shift in the way students learn…and the way teacher’s teach.

My know the Google Teacher Academy will help me leverage technology to create this powerful change in  my own classroom, so I can help other educators do the same! I will be tweeting from London sharing insights and ideas as I collaborate with other educators. My strength is curriculum design, so I look forward to brainstorming ideas for how educators can use this technology with students. Follow me on twitter to hear about the Google Teacher Academy and feel free to pepper me with questions!

@CTuckerEnglish